Air Force museum marks milestone

A Mitsubishi A6M3 "Zero," piloted by Steve McCartney, left, and a Grumman F8F "Bearcat" piloted by Capt. Mark Hubbard, go through a flying exhibition during a celebration of the centennial of U.S. Naval Aviation and the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor at the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force on Sunday.

Ventura County Star

Scott Steele sat in a replica of a World War I aircraft on North Island Naval base in February.

"I was dressed in World War I flier gear," said the naval aviation re-enactor. "And I watched from the cockpit of this old and small propeller airplane as a string of aircraft flew over, ending with the F/A-18 fighter. It was pretty impressive. We've come a long way in 100 years," he said.

Steele was at the Southern California Commemorative Air Force wing and museum's celebration Sunday marking the centennial of naval aviation and the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

The program at the museum at Camarillo Airport featured historian and author Bruce Gamble, author of "The Black Sheep," a history of Marine Corps air squadron VMF-214, made famous by the 1970s TV program "Baa Baa Black Sheep." Gamble also wrote "Fortress Rabaul," a history of Rabaul Island, the Japanese stronghold that the Black Sheep were trying to destroy.

The program featured flight demonstrations of World War II-era naval aircraft and a F/A-18F Super Hornet flown by Capt. Mark Hubbard, commodore of the Pacific Strike Fighter Force at Lemoore Naval Air Station in Lemoore.

Hubbard also spoke at the event.

"I don't think that (naval aviation founder Eugene) Ely could have thought we'd be where we are today," said Hubbard, 50. "The technological advancement of the last 100 years is remarkable. America's technological innovation have put the country where it is today, and we still lead the way in aviation, though we do have competition."

Hubbard flew an F/A-18F from Lemoore to Camarillo for the event. The flight took 12 minutes, he said.

Hubbard also flew a demonstration of the F8F Bearcat beside pilot Steve McCartney, who flew a Japanese Zero, owned by the Commemorative Air Force and one of three flying in the world today.

"The philosophy of design of the Zero is so different from the American planes," McCartney said. "It's lighter, smaller, more agile, and in a fight, it decimated the American aircraft until the Hellcat came along," he said. "Then the Americans learned to adapt and attack the planes by avoiding getting into turns with them and diving down from above them instead. The Hellcats and Bearcats are bigger and heavier, but they also have more armor and protection. Once they got a Zero in their sights, the Zero went down."

"I'm just a voting member when I'm flying an F/A-18," Hubbard said. "But when I strap on a Bearcat or a Hellcat, just the raw ability to be connected to the airplane is phenomenal. The Hornet's my day job, but in these planes, I am the flight computer. It's more raw and more fun," he said.

The museum has two Japanese Zeros on display; an F6F Hellcat and an F8F Bearcat, both built by Grumman; and a Navy SNJ Texan, a World War II training aircraft.

"I've been trying to get my daughter into aviation for a long time," said Darrin Gauvin of Camarillo, who came to the event with his 8-year-old daughter, Malia, and friends. "I moved here five years ago and saw these old planes flying over and followed them here to this little gem of a museum. It's great to be able to come and see these things," he said.

"I know the CAF's been here a while, and we always want to come out and support them" said Marc Atkinson of Simi Valley. "You can get right up close to the planes, and that's a huge draw for me."